‘Opportunistic and resilient, the North American coyote is the archetypical predator. The species continues to thrive throughout its range, despite centuries of persecution by humans’ (Morris, 18, 2004).
Coyotes are well noted for being extremely adaptable. They’re capable of surviving in varying environments, they have proven to be active during either day or night, and despite being hunted a fair amount, they’ve managed to take advantage of human encroachment and have actually expanded their range. I am not particularly fond of change, and often rebel against it like the sulky teenager I am; however, upon realising there is really no way around it, I will adapt remarkably quickly.
The ‘adaptable’ trait also insinuates an open and flexible nature, as you have to be willing to make changes; indeed, coyotes are able to adjust their size, diet and social structure depending on their position. It also suggests that the person would be good at summing up situations and working out what’s going on, and what needs to be done. My first reaction to a new situation is usually wariness and an uncomfortable feeling; however, I often manage to integrate myself successfully within a few minutes. I’ve also been described repeatedly as diplomatic, as I can usually work out what needs to happen, and I’m willing to listen to others’ opinions.
Another ability that makes me a good diplomat can be traced back to a combination of two coyote habits regarding their howling. Firstly, if a coyote is howling, and then hears a wolf howl, they will often fall silent for over an hour before starting their own call again. This is because the wolf is a predator of the coyote, and it doesn’t want to attract trouble. Likewise, I’m wary and careful about what I say, especially around those capable of being harsh, meaning that my words are usually polite and diplomatic.
Secondly, people have remarked on a coyote’s call being ‘deceiving’. It will appear to be coming from one direction, when it is truly coming from another. This represents my manipulative nature – my ability to carefully twist words and phrases to get what I want, while hiding my true intentions. I’ve often used my good reputation shamelessly to get the advantage, avoiding detentions for undone homework because normally I appear to be so well-behaved. I rarely have any serious qualms about lying, either; my main concerns are about getting caught. This deceptive ability is also shown in the coyote’s use of the ‘fascination display’, in which they engage in a complex series of movements to intrigue prey and lure it closer. While these are not necessarily positive traits, they certainly do come in handy.
However, my diplomacy doesn’t mean I’m incapable of having an opinion of my own. There are several things I feel very strongly about, and in that circumstance I make sure people know where I stand. For example, all my friends know that I’m not interested in alcohol, and thus rarely pressure me into trying some. This is reminiscent of the way a coyote chooses obvious landmarks, such as streams and tree-lines, to mark their territory.
The coyote is essentially the middle range between overly sociable canines such as wolves and domestic dogs, and the distinctly lone type like maned wolves and jackals. Coyotes, though some can be loners, generally like to stick in small packs. Indeed, it’s more beneficial for them. This fact had me worrying for a while, because I’m not the most sociable of persons. There have been times where I’ve gone out for a movie, and when someone invites me out for another the next week, my first thought is, ‘But I just went out!’
However, I then found that while coyotes may live in small packs, they very rarely hunt in them. They prefer to do most of their hunting either alone or in pairs, and only congregate together when bringing down large prey like deer. So this could mean that though I don’t mind hanging around with people – like I do with my family, and with the forum – I sometimes need alone time to do things just for me. It also explains why I often feel irritated when having to work in groups, such as doing practical work in Biology class; I prefer to do serious work alone, or with one or two others that I trust.
The packs are usually made up of a core mating pair, and then various pack associates. This mimics my friend situation quite strongly, though on a slightly larger scale. I have a small, tight-knit group of friends at the centre – they’re the ones I talk to regularly, the ones I complain to, the ones I seek comfort from. They’re the core of my ‘pack’. And then there are all the others who I’m friendly with and who I consider friends, just not as close – the associates.
Even when interacting with my friends, I seem to be more capable at long distance communication, like the forum or MSN, and really rather prefer it. Likewise, coyotes communicate via howling, and it is more common to hear than see them.
When it comes to relationships, coyotes are fairly monogamous, staying with the same mate for at least several years, and sometimes for life. I’m very serious about relationships, and the reason I’ve yet to engage in a serious one is that I’ve yet to find someone who I believe I would truly end up wanting to spend my life with. Many people seem to view dating as an amusing thing, something you do to fit in with the crowd. I plan to wait until there’s someone I truly have some feelings for. When it comes to pups, both male and female coyotes protect and provide for the young (after weaning). Though I have no kids of my own, and no husband to interact with, I tend to be alright with children, and definitely somewhat protective of them. Once, when going to the beach with some family friends and their little ones, I recall always hovering close by to the children, ready to take action if anything happened, and even running down emergency procedures in my mind. This reaction is also evident in the way coyotes place their den in the centre of their territory so that they’re best able to protect the pups.
Like all pack canines, coyotes have a sense of hierarchy, and it was this particular trait in myself that lead me to consider canines in the first place. Anyone older than me, or anyone I perceive as older than me, is automatically placed above me on my inner pecking order. Those who are or appear to be younger are automatically placed below. However, this pecking order can be shuffled quite regularly as I actually get to know people and reorder them based on how much I come to respect them. This means that someone who is older, but who I perceive as naïve or irritating, can be placed below someone younger who I respect more. This inner hierarchy has both positive and negative effects on me – while it means I rarely get in trouble with those in authority because I do not challenge them, I end up with a certain pliability because I instinctively believe that anyone older is always right.
Coyotes are not aggressive animals, and nor am I an aggressive person (unless caught on a particularly bad day). When dealing with aggressors, coyotes pass through several stages of warning before the final chase and attack. I myself prefer to verbally nudge people into backing down, as opposed to going in swinging. Part of the reason behind this is that I do not like trouble, and therefore try to avoid conflict unless I have friends on my side – the same way a lone coyote is careful to avoid territories claimed by other packs. Even if the opponent does not back down, and the ‘chase and attack’ is deployed, coyotes will stop the harassment the moment the intruder is out of their territory, at which point the chaser will re-mark the boundaries to reinforce them. I have remarked on many occasions that I don’t hold grudges; I’m content to back down once the person is no longer a threat. Though, like the coyote re-marking its territory, I may continue to seek assurance they’ve got the message, and will possibly hold some wariness towards them for a while.
Unfortunately, coyotes seem to attract trouble. They have become major targets for sport hunters and farmers concerned for their livestock, though coyote predation on livestock is not nearly as common as many people believe. In primary school, and to a lesser degree in high school, I was singled out as ‘strange’ for reasons I’m still not entirely aware of, and subjected to bullying. Perhaps, like a coyote being singled out by a hunter for sport, I was seen as nothing more than amusement, a prize to be mounted on the wall. As such, people’s opinions have come to matter to me quite a lot, as their judgment has hurt me before – like the farmer wrongly judging the coyote to be a serious threat. It adds to my careful nature, and to my initial discomfort and caution in new situations, as I am forever concerned I’ll make a fool out of myself, and I worry constantly about what others think of me.
However, as mentioned previously, coyotes have managed to spread their range despite the hunting, and likewise I have managed to gain some benefit from these difficulties. For one, I have increased empathy about others’ feelings, for I know how it feels to be ostracized and picked on, so I make a conscious effort not to do it myself (though that does not mean I always succeed). I also gained a slightly slyer nature, a little more suspicion and a fair bit more knowledge on reading people.
Coyotes appear to have a very simple work ethic – the less effort involved the better. They always prefer habitats with a high abundance in food, can survive off a very varied diet, and although capable of digging their own dens, they often enlarge on abandoned ones. All these habits point to a nature that is constantly on the lookout for advantages, likes to take short-cuts, and is not overly picky. I do like to take it easy. At school I’d mastered the way to make it look like I’d done a better job on my homework than I had my spacing the words out and even filling in little bits of nonsense to make it look like I’d written more than I had. I always preferred to buy my food from the tuckshop than make it at home myself. And I’ve occasionally taken the scavenging nature of a coyote to a practical level by snatching food off another’s plate, or quietly sneaking out a CD from my brother’s room without his permission. However, when a coyote hunts they do it thoroughly – they search carefully and determine the exact location of their prey before making their move. Likewise, if something is important to me, and especially if it’s likely to be beneficial, I’m willing to put in a bit of hard work.
Wariness has been mentioned a few times during this essay, and appears to be a primary – and necessary – part of the coyote’s nature. As one of the smaller carnivores in their natural habitat, they’re consistently described as ‘secretive’ and active mostly in the early mornings or late evenings. Likewise, I tend to want to do a lot of my business in private, and absolutely despise people hovering over my shoulder and looking at what I do. This is partly because I worry about what they’ll think of my interests and such, and therefore try to hide it. I also like to approach things sideways, try and get my meaning across without directly stating what I’m after (which sometimes frustrates people to no end). This mimics the behavior of a coyote on the move – they hold their tail down low when running so as to avoid announcing their presence. I also don’t have the type of personality that immediately attracts people; I appear to blend into the background – much like the way a coyote’s fur serves to camouflage them.
Despite a certain penchant for laziness and procrastination, coyotes are not stupid. They’re listed as one of the fastest predators in the Americas, and hunt their prey with great springing leaps. While I myself don’t run about pouncing on mice, I can relate this back to my mental processes. At the risk of sounding conceited, I am quite intelligent. Not to a genius level, but I’ve been assured that if I were to willingly put in the work, I could do just about anything I wished to do (the difficulty is getting me to want to put in the work). I also tend to make fairly large leaps from one thing to another – for example, I’d been talking to a guy at work for a few months, and we got along quite well. Then one day, during a busy shift, he handed me a letter, and I just knew that he was asking me out in it. And he was. Unfortunately, my great leaps aren’t always accurate, much like the way a coyote only hits its target around 45% of the time.
One of the attributes that comes to most people’s minds when thinking of coyotes is ‘trickster’. This is based off the ancient legends of Coyote the trickster god, and can also be seen in some of the real world coyotes’ actions. When hunting prairie dogs, coyotes often pair up to ‘trick’ the little mammals. One will deceive them into thinking it has no interest them, and will lure them out into the open – at which point the hidden coyote will leap out and catch the prey. In my group of friends, it is true that I could fill the role of ‘trickster’. I’m cheerful, I’m optimistic, and I love cracking jokes or playing little tricks. I just have to be careful not to go too far, which has happened on occasion.
Overall, this essay has solidified my belief that we are definitely settled as a coyote. Every aspect of my personality, every nuance and every flaw, can be traced back to some habit of the prairie wolf.
It’s a nice feeling, really.